Amorphous windows illuminate the cavernous interior of this pilates gym, which designer Wanmu Shazi has created in the Chinese port city of Xiamen.
The interior of TT Pilates, which is set inside a high-rise office building, was designed to distance visitors from the hustle and bustle of their urban surroundings.
The TT Pilates studio has cave-like interiors
"Pilates is a unique exercise that enables people to focus on themselves," Shazi explained.
"Through physical and mental training, people are able to enter another state of consciousness completely different from daily life and recharge their batteries. Such exercise needs an immersive, introverted space."
Natural light streams in through amorphous windows
With this aim, the designer focused on using soft colours and materials to mimic textures found in nature. A mixture of micro cement and beige paint was used to form a rough, stone-like layer over the studio's walls and ceilings.
This fake rock finish also covers most of the studio's expansive steel-framed windows, leaving only a few organically-shaped openings so that visitors can catch glimpses of the skyline beyond.
Wooden stools are meant to look like pebbles
"Standing in the tranquil space and looking down at the bustling outside world through window openings evokes a transcendental experience," said Shazi.
These openings, along with those made in the ceiling to accommodate spotlights, cast bright patches of light onto the wooden flo...